Shukumei: A tale of destiny, freedom, and love
by kgeesy
Summary: Story starts about a week after Light's death and the end of the series. Near saves the life of a seemingly sweet and normal 20-year-old, but Lillith has something to hide! When Near finds out her dark secret, things get crazy...NearxOC
1. Saved

Me: Oh goodies a Death Note story!

L: -.-

Me: OH COME ON! I MADE LIGHT EVIL…….AGAIN!

L: He's always evil….and I know you're gonna make Near OOC.

Me: AM NOT!

L: Humph.

Me: SAY THE DISCLAIMER L!!!!!!!!!!!!

L: Pffft….Saga doesn't own Death Note, or the song Jai Ho. The only thing she owns is her OC Lillith.

Me: SQUEE! ON WITH THE STORY!

Chapter 1

Lillith groaned in annoyment and shifted her stack of textbooks as she scurried as fast as her fish-netted legs would carry her. _Great, I'm late again! Why does this always happen to me?!_ Lillith ranted inside the privacy of her mind. Minutes later she burst into the university class, panting. Naturally, everyone stared. Lillith blushed cherry red and mumbled "Sorry." before sheepishly sinking into a nearby desk. To regain the professor's respect, Lillith desperately tried to concentrate, but she kept nodding off. She had been so busy the day before; she barely took time to sleep. She yanked hard on her pigtail, a nervous habit of hers, and attempted to stay conscious.

Finally, Lillith had her classes for the day finished. She stepped out into the busy streets outside the university, heading back home. Being so short and thin was a particular disadvantage in the crowded streets she constantly had to maneuver through. Lillith finally fought her way to a crossing point. She quickly scampered out into the street. She was in such a rush to get home, she didn't see the car coming at first. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw motion. Lillith turned her head, saw the car and…..stared. She was too shocked to run, to scream, or to even think. She just stood with her jaw gaping open, until…..

Lillith suddenly felt a strong impact from her side-it wasn't the force of a car-and arms embracing her. She saw a flash of white before she was knocked back into the crowd, her textbooks flying everywhere. Lillith could hear the anxious buzz of conversation around her. She hesitantly opened her eyes to see a dozen worried faces surrounding her and….someone else? "Are you alright?" A nearby man asked her and the boy next to her. Lillith winced and rubbed her back. She had landed on her backpack, which hurt like heck! "Yea, I think so." The guy simply nodded. "Um…what happened?" she asked the older man. "Well, that car was about to hit you, but this young man here ran out in the street and pushed you out of harm's way. He risked his own life in the process." Lillith stared in shock at the boy next to her, touched that a complete stranger would be willing to chance losing his own life in order to save her's. Lillith blushed. "Thank you." She said shyly. The boy, who seemed about her age, shrugged. He stood up, brushed himself off, and held out a hand to help Lillith up. She gratefully accepted. By now the crowd was already dispersing. Lillith nervously tugged on her left pigtail and bit her lip. "So...what's your name?" she asked the boy. His response was a short one. "Near." Lillith smiled and gave him a quick head-to-toe glance. His snow white hair seemed to be curly and straight at the same time, and his clothes were similar colors. "Near. That's a nice name. I'm Lillith." She held out her hand and he shook it wordlessly.

"Um…." Lillith tried her best to break the awkward silence. Near was so quiet. "Thanks again for um….saving my life." Lillith blushed intensely. _That was such a stupid thing to say! Ugh, I'm such a ditz!_ Near shrugged again. "It's nothing." The next thing said just rolled right out of Lillith's mouth. "I want to thank you properly. Do you want to get dinner together? I know this great restaurant a couple blocks from here." Once she realized what she had just said, she mentally slapped herself. _That sounded so awkward! He probably thinks I'm asking him out or something!_ But to her delight, Near shrugged. "Okay." Lillith smiled and led him to the restraunt. By the time they got there, the lights were dimmed inside. Lillith read the hours on the door and frowned. "Aww, it's closed! Now what do we do….Wait I have an idea! You can come to my place for dinner!" "That's not necessary…" Near started. Lillith grabbed him by the wrist. "No excuses! Consider it my thanks to you!" Lillith then proceeded to drag Near to the apartment complex she lived in. While she fumbled with the keys, she spoke to him, "I apologize for the mess; I've been so busy with either school or work. But I don't have a lot of stuff anyway. I had to take most of it to the pawn shop when I moved out of my parent's house so I could afford my tuition." Lillith unlocked the door and let Near in.

Her apartment was indeed messy. There was tons of half-empty cardboard boxes lying around, several pairs of shoes strewn on the ground, and two white rifles leaning against the wall. The kitchen table was even worse. There were pencils and sheets of notebook paper covering it, along with a laptop. Lillith blushed in embarrassment. "Trust me; I spend more time doing homework and stuff than eating at that table." Near just nodded. "Um…you can sit down ya know." Lillith said. Near simply sunk into the nearest chair. He sat really weird, with one foot up and the other down. Not wanting to be rude and comment on it, Lillith instead asked, "So what kind of food do you like?" Near shrugged for the fourth time that day. "Doesn't matter." Lillith walked into the kitchen and opened up a cabinet. "I've got instant ramen. I hope that works." Lillith took a packet out of the cabinet and held it up. Near simply nodded.

A few minutes later…

"The ramen's ready!" Lillith chirped. She spooned some into two different bowls and gave one to Near and sat down beside him. For a while they ate in an awkward silence before Lillith finally broke it.

"So…why did you even do that in the first place?"

"Did what?"

"Um…save my life."

"You were just standing there staring at the car, like you were trying to get hit." Near stated flatly.

Lillith blushed but quickly shielded herself with a sharp comment. "How do you know I _wasn't_?" she asked.

Near gave her a weird look for a couple seconds. Lillith waved her hands in front of herself. "No, no, I WASN'T! But you didn't know that!"

Near just shrugged. "Well if you were, it would be a huge mistake. So…I pushed you out of the way. Pretty simple."

Lillith looked in his eyes, trying to read his expression. _He knows a lot about life…_

END CHAPTER ONE

Me: I sense the beginning of a great story!

Misa: Yay! Misa loves stories!

Me: You can't even read, BAKA!

Misa: What does that mean?!?!

Me: THAT JUST PROVES THAT YOU ARE A BAKA!

Misa: NO I'M NOT! LIGHT AM I A BAKA?!….whatever it is….

Light: Yes…

Misa:

Me: For once Light does something that I approve of….well, see you guys in chapter 2!


	2. Evicted

Me: This story seems fairly popular already! I'm so happy! ^.^

L: Just because two people reviewed?-.-

Me: :O People that said they loved it and couldn't wait to read more! They commented a day or so within me uploading the first chappie!

L: -not impressed-

Me: I WILL sucker punch you! …..Or make you say the disclaimer!

L: -not intimidated-

Me: ARGH!

Matt: O.o –cough cough- Saga doesn't own Death Note or Jai Ho, but she does own Lillith.

Chapter 2

The next day, Lillith was in a brilliant mood. She was doing great in her classes now, she slept well last night, and her hair and outfit were perfect! She felt that way all the way home, until she got to her apartment, where two simple words shattered the joy. A ton of cardboard boxes, taped shut, were piled in front of the door. Utterly perplexed, Lillith navigated around them to her door. A piece of copy paper was taped there. Right there, in cruel black print, was the stark truth. The paper said:

**Eviction Notice**

Lillith's world stopped spinning as she read the two harsh words over and over in her mind. It seemed like an eternity that Lillith's dark violet eyes stared hollowly into space. Her thoughts buzzed in her head like a busy beehive: _Where will I live? How will I afford my rent anywhere else? How am I going to get all these boxes out of here?_ _Will I be forced to sell Simon and Shukumei?_ Lillith's face contorted as the tears that had been welling up in her eyes spilled over. Her face buried in her hands, as if hiding the shame of not being able to pay for even this cheap apartment, Lillith wheeled around and took off.

Lillith kept running until she was in front of her favorite café, coughing and gasping for breath. Her leg muscles shrieked with pain, and sweat glistened on her face. She wiped a few tears from her eyes and slowly entered the shop. Lillith ordered an Iced Mocha and sat down at a booth near the window. Sipping on her coffee, she tried desperately to fight back the urge to cry her heart out, but after a while the lump rising in her throat was too much and she was soon sobbing again, all sense of dignity in her gone.

After about a minute of continuously flowing tears, Lillith felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up through bleary red eyes and was surprised to see Near, the boy she had met yesterday. His face looked indifferent, but Lillith could see a trace of concern in his eyes.

" H-hi, Near-san…"

"Why are you crying? Is something wrong?" Near slid next to her in the booth.

Lillith wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I-I got evicted from my apartment because I couldn't afford the rent…"

Sympathy flashed for a split second in Near's eyes, but it was soon gone. He tugged on his hair as he said, "Oh, I'm sorry. But can't you find another apartment complex?"

This just upsetted Lillith further, but she didn't take it out on Near, who was just trying to make her feel better. So she took a shuddery breath and said, "That's the problem. That apartment complex is the most inexpensive one in the area. Where am I supposed to live if I can't afford rent there?"

If Near was embarrassed for asking, he didn't show it. He just kept on tugging on his hair, staring into space. Lillith could tell he was in thought, so she just quietly sipped on her drink and let him think. After a while he spoke, but he still seemed to be thinking. "Do you know anyone you could live with or that you could get a loan from?"

"No. Most of my friends and relatives live outside the city, and I try to take as few loans as possible. I only took a couple my first year on my own, and haven't taken any since."

Near thought for a few seconds more before he had an epiphany. "Hey, Lillith-san, I have a spare bedroom in my apartment. If you want to, you can live with me."

Lillith's deep amethyst eyes brightened in joy. "Near-san, that's so thoughtful of you! I would love to, but I couldn't sit around in your apartment like a lazy idiot while you have to pay for the rent!"

"It's okay. I don't mind. You can stay as long as you want."

Lillith looked like she was about to cry again, but this time out of happiness. "Thank you, Near-san!" she exclaimed, hugging him.

Not wanting to make Near feel awkward, she quickly released him, smiling radiantly. "I don't know how I can repay you!" she clasped her hands together.

Near curled a lock of hair around his finger. "It's okay. Do you want to go get your stuff now?" Lillith nodded.

Once they got to the apartment, Lillith checked inside to get some of her stuff and her food out of there while Near called a taxi. Lillith was setting food inside a small cooler when Near walked in. He curled his hair while he talked to her. "What're you gonna do about the furniture?"

"It's not mine. It's the apartment owner's. That includes the bed frame and mattress, the couch, the coffee table, the kitchen table and chairs, and all of the kitchen appliances. I just have to leave them in here and tell the owner when I drop my key off." Lillith set down a gallon of milk in the cooler and stuck the lid on. "Do you need help with that, Lillith-san?" Near asked. Lillith picked it up and smiled. "Don't worry about it. Could you take my equipment outside with the other food please?"

"Your what?"

"My food."

"Not that. I meant your 'equipment'." Near inserted air quotes here.

"Ooooh, I never told you about that! I mean my Guard equipment. My sabre, rifles, and gloves. I was in Color Guard in High School and when I moved out of my parents' house, I couldn't bear to part with my weapons. Of course, the flags belong to the school so I don't have one. They're in my bedroom right by the door. Can't miss them. And the gloves are attached to the strap of one of the rifles." Lillith then proceeded to walk to the door, carrying the heavy cooler.

A couple minutes later, the taxi arrived. Lillith and Near threw the boxes carrying Lillith's possessions and her food in the trunk of the car. But Lillith insisted on holding onto her Color Guard stuff during the ride. Lillith locked up the apartment and turned the key into the main office. Finally, she and Near climbed into the backseat and gave the driver directions to Near's apartment.

Once the taxi started, an uncomfortable silence fell over Lillith and Near in the backseat. Lillith kept her mouth shut for once, too grateful to say anything to Near. After about fifteen minutes, they arrived at Near's apartment complex. Near paid the taxi driver and helped Lillith get all of her stuff out of the car and to his apartment, number 163. Near opened the door and stepped aside to let her in. "Welcome home, Lillith-san."

Me: ^_^ The plot doth thicken!

Misa: Why are you talking weird? I'm confused…

Me: -.- -to light- Can you really get that stupid?

Light: In Misa's case, yes.

Misa: HEY!!!

Me: Read and review! –runs from the wrath of Misa-


	3. New Home

Me: I love this story so far! And thank you for the nice reviews!

L: There was only four. -.- You're really conceited, you know that, right?

Me: Actually, my self-esteem is rock-bottom…but not when it comes to writing and fanfictions! ^.^

InuYasha: You're both bakas.

Me: YOU DARE CALL L A BAKA?!?! YOU MUST DIE!

Audrey: Well that sounds familiar…

Me: WTF! THIS IS A DEATH NOTE STORY! RANDOM PEOPLE OUT!

Rose: Does that mean I have to leave too?

Me: YES! But do the disclaimer first!

Rose: T.T Saga owns nothing but Lillith!

Chapter 3

Lillith stepped slowly inside, amazed at how nice the apartment was, if a little dark. Even though it was midday, heavy and dark curtains covered what Lillith assumed was the sliding glass door that opened to a small balcony. There was barely any light in the apartment, and Lillith was glad that Near's apartment was more organized than hers.

As Near led her to what would soon be her room, they passed something totally random that Lillith never expected to see. It was a giant stack of DICE going up to the ceiling. Lillith stared up at it as if it was the lord, eyes wide and mouth agape. Near simply glanced at it and said, "Don't touch that." Then, as if by magic, the tower of dice shook and collapsed, sending its building blocks everywhere. Near just stood there for a second or two, then turned and looked at Lillith. Lillith squeaked in embarrassment. "I'm sorry!"

"I'll just do it later." Near sulked off. Lillith nervously followed, feeling bad about destroying the stack of dice.

"Well, this is your room." Near opened the door to a practically empty room. A tiny desk and matching chair stood right next to a small window covered by sheer curtains. A small bed squatted in the corner, with an empty mattress. No pillow or bedding. Lillith didn't care, she would just use her own sheets, however aged and worn they may be. She was happy to finally have a room of her own, one she didn't have to pay for! She was so indescribably grateful to Near.

Near's hair-twirling habit picked up as he spoke. "Do you want me to help you get your stuff in here and get settled in, Lillith-chan?" Lillith stared at him, stunned at his use of the honorific. Near saw her surprise. "Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you-"

Lillith smiled softly. "No, no it's okay. But I would appreciate your help very much…Near-kun." She hesitated before saying his name in this new fashion. "Okay then." Near replied. _Dear god. Again with that hair-twirling. It figures his hair is all curly and straight at the same time. Who needs a curling iron when you have him?_ Lillith suppressed the slight giggle right before it escaped her mouth and followed Near outside.

That night…

Lillith groaned inwardly and slipped thick black-rimmed glasses over her face as her eyes scanned the computer screen. "Damn those cheap contacts. Can't even see the screen properly with them on." Lillith was so busy she didn't even notice the sound of her door squeaking open. "Lillith-chan?" Lillith whirled around in shock, only to sigh in relief. "Oh! You scared me to death!" Standing in the doorway, Near shrugged. "Sorry I…are those glasses?"A slight blush crept up on Lillith's cheeks. She ripped off the glasses and shoved them behind her. "Ah, I have to wear them to see the computer screen…I usually have on contacts though. They're ugly, I know."

Near walked over to her. "There's nothing wrong with them. I think they look good on you." Her face went pink again. "Anyway, I was wondering if you were hungry. I'm not that great of a cook, but we could go to that restaurant you said you liked so much." Lillith forgot about her flushed face and instead smiled brightly. "Of course! You like Italian food, right?" Near's habit got him again as he replied. "Yep."

As the pair set out for the restaurant, Lillith smiled shyly again, hoping Near didn't notice. _I don't know why, but being with Near-kun…it makes me so happy!_

Me: Mwahaha! I can't wait to write more!

L: This story is weird. –eats cake-

Me: But in a cute way! ^.^

L: No, just in a…weird way.

Me: You be quiet! –takes cake-

L: Hey!

Me: Say you're sorry!

L: No! Give me my freakin' cake!

Me: Never! Read and review everyone! –runs-


	4. Secrets

Me: I had a giant wave of inspiration before Color Guard practice today, and the beginning of this chapter was the result. My friends say there's lots of description. ^.^

L: Feh.

Me: Where did you get that from?!?! That's InuYasha's thing!

L: So?

Me: SO you can't steal his saying!

L: I can do whatever the heck I want!

Me: You don't live in America! You live in Japan! Just because you're the almighty Einstein detective of the world doesn't mean you can take copyrighted sayings from half-demons!

L: It's not copyrighted…

Me: Is too! Rumio Takahashi created InuYasha!

Mello: SHUT UP!

Me and L: O.O Yes sir!

Mello: Saga only owns Lillith!

Chapter 4

The chilly night air caressed Lillith's bare arms gently as she and Near took their sweet time walking to the restaurant. There was no need to hurry-it was a beautiful night. A tiny sliver of moon and the consistently twinkling stars shed a pale light all around the pair, bathing their surroundings in a silver wash. The orchestra of dead leaves as they danced airily just above the Earth and the resounding _crunch_ beneath feet were the sure sounds of a perfect October evening. Lillith smiled as the breeze played with the loose strands of hair that framed her face.

Lillith was enjoying the walk so much that she was almost reluctant when they actually reached the restaurant, which was an Italian place called Italiano Kitchen (A/N:my Mom made that up XD). She didn't feel that way once they actually stepped inside. Lillith's nose was immediately tickled by the spicy, enticing aroma of pumpkin pie, presumably from the candles placed on every table. The scent was boldly contrasted by that of garlic. With only candles and the city lights outside for illumination, the dimly lit restaurant was filled mostly with young couples on dates. Eyes illuminated by the flickering candlelight, the residents of the tables were gazing lovingly into the face and hearts of their sweetheart, the message coming across clearly: _I love you with all my being._ As you can see, this isn't an Oh-we're-just-friendly-friends-going-on-a-friendly-friend-outing-to-eat type of place. Near didn't seem to notice, and if he did, he didn't care. Lillith observed this and decided to follow his lead.

Once the host showed them to their seat and the waiter took their drink orders, Near promptly picked up the menu and started looking for something to choose. Lillith's menu lay untouched. Every waiter knew her and her favorites. So she just scrolled through old texts on her phone until Near decided what to get.

"What're you getting?"

"Chicken Alfredo."

Lillith nodded and looked out the window. "It's a beautiful night. So many people are out and about. I always love being in the middle of a busy city. Unfortunately, I have to spend most of my time these days at home, with a textbook open in front of me." Lillith gave a small laugh.

"What're you majoring in?"

"Political Science. I love politics."

"I see."

The next day…

"Okay Near, I have to study for a test tomorrow. I have a job for you." Upon hearing Lillith say this, Near groaned inwardly. "I need you to unpack boxes. Except the clothes box. It says **Clothes** in Sharpie on the side."

"I think I established that."

"Just to make sure." Lillith picked up two textbooks, stuck a pencil behind her ear, and walked to the living room to study.

Near sighed, grabbed a box cutter from the kitchen counter, and walked to her room. He immediately began opening up boxes and taking out their contents. When he got to a box labeled "Guard Stuff", he was curious and opened it to find a bunch of spandex outfits. He twitched and flung them aside. Underneath mounds of Color Guard crap, he found a small binder labeled "Photo Album." Near slowly opened it and flipped through, mildly creeped out at the dozens of photos of spandex-clad girls. When he got to one of the last pages, he stared at it blankly, thinking in his mind, _Are those GUYS?_ He brought it closer to his face to get a better look. Upon close inspection, Near shuddered and closed the book.

Next, he got to the book box. Once he opened the box with his little box cutter, the first book he saw was a lime green fuzzy journal. Seeing as it had no title and appeared to be a normal notebook, Near decided to investigate and opened to the first page. "Dear diary…hmm." Interested, Near sat for an hour or so, nonchalantly reading the diary as if it were a normal book. When he got to the latest entry, he was shocked, to say the least. It said:

_Dear diary,_

_8 more months…I'm really nervous. I'm actually kind of scared. I wish I never met him, then maybe I could actually have a NORMAL life! Oh well, like they say, it must be my destiny._

_~Lillith_

Without showing any emotion, Near got up, walked over to the door of the room Lillith was in, and burst it open, yelling "**YOU'RE PREGNANT?!?!**"

She looked up from her book slowly, and, without much thought, said, "_What_ color crack are you smoking, Near-kun?"

Ignoring the question, he ranted again, "**YOU'RE PREGNANT?!?!**"

"Uh…no…"

"Yes, YOU'RE PREGNANT!"

"Uh, Near-kun, seeing as how I'm a CHICK, I think I would know if I was going to have a child, since it's inside of ME. Not you, ME."

After a moment, Lillith slowly looked down at her stomach, then looked up at Near and screamed, "DO I _LOOK_ PREGNANT TO YOU?!?!"

"NO! I mean…I read this, and..."

"Is that my DIARY?!?!"

"Yes…"

"NEAR!"

"But it was just there!"

"That doesn't mean you should read it!"

"It was just THERE!!! And that's beside the point! And…this…it says eight months…and there's nine months in pregnancy…and you were talking about a guy…and destiny…and scared…"

Lillith took the book from him and skimmed the page quickly. In sudden realization, she said, "OOOOOH…that's how… OOOOH…Uh, well, Near-kun, I'm not going to have a CHILD in eight months, I'm going to DIE in eight months. But I wish it was the other way around, seeing that I would rather have a child before I die. Except if I died during child labor…that would suck…" All this time, Lillith was totally and utterly calm. She was speaking as if it was no big deal.

"YOU'RE SUICIDAL?!?!"

"No!"

"B-but, but!"

"Did that WHOLE explanation just fly by your white hair?!?!"

"Well please explain!"

"Fine! Well…back in high school, in my junior year, I heard about all this Kira business. I was all for Kira and his ideals, and when I finally got the chance to meet Kira, aka LIGHT YAGAMI, I was really eager. I found out that he could see shinigami, and he let me even touch the notebook so I could see Ryuk-san. I told Light-san that I wanted to help him, and he said that Shinigami had a special ability that could make that possible. The shinigami-san have the ability to bind one human to another, body and soul. Once a special ritual of sorts is performed, that person pretty much becomes a servant to the other. They have to obey that person's every order and protect the person's life at the cost of their own. Being the foolish teenager I was, I decided to do that, even when I was told about the strings attached. If that person dies because you weren't around to defend them, you're going to die in eight months."

"So since Light-kun died, you're going to die?"

"Yup. It wasn't a happy time for me. I had to give up being on Varsity Color Guard because I didn't have enough time to practice my skills. Whenever I went out in public doing something for Light-san I had to disguise myself. He made me buy a bunch of wigs and wear them. I even had to cover up as that ditz Misa once. Not to mention how disgusting it was to do that ritual thing in the beginning. It's sort of like when someone becomes a blood brother with another person, you know, they both have to draw blood from a small wound and then press it to the other's wound? We had to prick our fingers with needles. I nearly fainted because I'm so squeamish around the blood of other people."

Near stared blankly at Lillith for a minute.

"What?" she asked.

"You know you're going to die and you aren't trying to do anything about it, Lillith-chan?"

Lillith gave Near a small half-smile. "I believe everything happens for a reason Near-kun. If I'm going to die, it must be shukumei. Destiny."

"But…"

"Near-kun, it's okay. Really. I'm sure that I'll make my mark in the world before this happens. Don't worry over it. After all, there's nothing you can do to keep it from happening. It's my fault anyhow. I should have known better than to put my life on the line like that."

But, deep down inside, Lillith thought to herself, _I wish I could just stay like this my whole life…_

THE END

Me: HAHA!

L: Haha what?

Me: Idk, I gotta be quick cause my sister wants the computer!

L: Ok, read and review!


	5. Attack of the evil toaster

Me: Dear god, I don't even KNOW what happened when I wrote this chapter…

L: Your crazy ex boyfriend sitting near you in biology happened, that's what.

Me: I KNOW!!! Maybe he wants to get back together?!?! –swoons in utter joy-

L: She's desperate. Oh well. Enjoy the chapter and remember: Saga doesn't own anything except Lillith.

Chapter 5

Lillith woke up the next morning to the smell of something burning. She jumped up, startled, and raced to the kitchen. Near was standing there looking just slightly pissed off.

"What _happened_, Near-kun?"

"The toaster happened."

"What?"

Lillith drew closer and noticed a steaming, blackened piece of bread sitting on a plate. She looked back and said, "It's sad you can't even make toast."

"That toaster is evil!"

"No, you're just a bad cook is all. Do you even know how to make instant ramen or onigiri?"

"No…"

Lillith face-palmed. "It's a wonder you can even live on your own." Lillith took four pieces of bread and started to put them in the toaster.

"I don't think you should do that, Lillith-chan…" Near started.

"Dear god, it's just a toaster! There's nothing to worry about." Once Lillith pressed down the toaster button (A/N: the only word me and my ex boyfriend could think of for it), the toaster started to shake. Lillith and Near backed up as smoke then began to rise up from the toaster. Suddenly the toaster sent a piece of bread flying out. It hit the wall above them and slid down slowly. Like a machine gun being fired, the toaster then spit out the other three pieces of bread Lillith had put in there. Then all was silent. Lillith hesitantly picked up one of the pieces of bread from the floor. "It's not even toasted!"

Near walked over to the toaster. He reached out and was about to take a look at it when it burst into toast. That's right. Not flames, toast. It was too ironic for words. Lillith and Near just stared at the toast, thinking, _What the hell just happened?_ Suddenly, the lights started to flicker on and off. Freaked out, Lillith backed up against the wall. She felt something moist touching her hand. Lillith whirled around to see butter oozing out of the walls. She screamed one of those dramatic horror movie screams. While Lillith was busy having this little mental breakdown, the phone started ringing. Near picked it up and said, strangely calm, "Hello?" He could hear breathing on the other line, then _click_. The line went dead. Suddenly there was a huge explosion and everything went black.

Lillith suddenly woke up in her room. "I'm in my room? That means it was all a dream!" she exclaimed. She hugged herself joyfully. "It was all a dream!" she repeated. Then, something caught her eye. She faced the wall and saw globs of half melted butter gushing out. "NOOOOOOOO!!!"

Once again, Lillith slowly opened her eyes to see she was in her bed. She smelled something burning again and flipped. She ran to the kitchen just like before, and screamed, "DID THE TOASTER BURST INTO TOAST?!?!" Near looked up at her, startled. "Huh?"

Lillith heaved a huge sigh of relief. This time it definitely wasn't a dream. She had woken up for real. To a world where toasters didn't burst into toast, and butter didn't come oozing out of walls.

"What's going on?" she asked Near.

"I screwed up with the toaster."

"…Maybe I should make breakfast for today." Lillith smiled a bit. "I have a feeling you need to replace that toaster."

So, Near and Lillith ate miso soup for breakfast before Lillith head off for her morning shift at the bookstore and Near went off to do…whatever it is Near does.

Me: So crack enduced….

L: You're telling me.

Me: Oh well, it was fun as hell to write it. After all, anything can happen in anime!

L: Not necessarily.

Me: Stop being a killjoy L! Hope everyone liked it! Read and review!


	6. Near's Color Guard attempt

Me: Wow, I haven't updated in forever! I'm sorry, everyone!

L: She says she had writer's block, the little liar. She's been scribbling page after page of her Battle Royale adaptation.

Me: THAT'S A DIFFERENT PLOT L! Some things are easier to write than others you know!

L: It's all the same. Words.

Me: No it's different! I would be writing more often if my imagination hadn't shriveled up and died long ago…

L: Excuses, excuses. Anyway, I'll say the disclaimer. Saga doesn't own Death Note. She only owns Lillith, which isn't much of an accomplishment.

Me: Don't be mean! Anyway, hope you enjoy everyone. ^.^

Chapter 6

_November-7 months to go_

Ever since Lillith had moved in, things had been pretty normal. She spent most of her time at school or a part time job. However, when Lillith did occasionally take some time off, she would grab her Color Guard equipment and walk to a nearby park. Near would usually tag along out of boredom and curiosity. Whenever they would arrive, Lillith would find an open and grassy area and begin spinning, while Near sat on a nearby park bench, playing with one of his robot toys and watching her.

One day Lillith was trying to accomplish what she called a "Double toss turnaround". This toss was a rifle toss where Lillith would throw a five, and turn twice underneath while it was in the air before catching it. Apparently, she was only able to turn once and successfully catch her rifle. Her irritation must have been steadily mounting with each attempt, because when the rifle hit the ground for the umpteenth time, Lillith screamed in annoyance. She stomped to the bench and slammed herself down beside Near. "I can't get it right! The rifle always comes down before I can do my second turn!" She ranted at him.

Without looking up, Near tugged on a lock of his hair before calmly stating, "Maybe a five just isn't enough for a double toss turnaround. Try doing it with a six."

Lillith let out a deep sigh, pulled off her sweat-drenched fingerless gloves and wiggled her fingers. "I'm so out of shape. I used to have such strong arm muscles and now they're noodles, just like my first year."

Near glanced briefly at the rifle lying in the sun. "Well, it's better than most people could probably do. You have pretty good hand-eye coordination."

Lillith shrugged and wiped her forehead. "I wasn't born with it. As far as Color Guard goes, I earned every single ability I have. I bet you could do it if you practiced enough."

Near stared at her emotionlessly. "You could be right about that. Could you teach me how?"

Lillith, although stunned at him for asking, nodded. "Sure! I must say I'm surprised, though. You never struck me as the athletic type, Near-kun."

"I'm typically not, but I want to see how good I would be at this kind of thing." Near responded as he put both feet on the ground and rose into a standing position. Lillith slipped on her gloves and tossed him her newer, lighter rifle, which she had given the western name Simon. Lillith had told Near she had an American mother, so she was full of western customs.

After Lillith handed him the rifle, she grabbed her own and faced him. Placing her right hand underneath the gun in the skinny part and the other on top where the barrel would be, she instructed, "Hold it in the neck and the tip."

Near tried to copy her hand positions and Lillith shook her head. "End of the tip." She said as she slid his hand over so it was at the very tip of the gun.

"Now push down as hard as you can on the tip, let go with the other hand, and let the weight of the gun carry it over. It's just a turn of the wrist, really."

Near pulled up on the tip and was about to let it go when Lillith stopped him. "Don't pull it up and then push down. Just push." She instructed.

Near honestly hadn't expected it to be this difficult. Lillith made it seem so easy, like the gun was simply sliding out of her hands. She did it almost instinctively, like she couldn't resist holding a rifle without spinning it. She could also do it with not only her right hand, but her left. He also noticed that she was rather patient with teaching him, but on the contrary, she got easily frustrated with herself.

"C'mon Near-kun, you can do it! Try to keep your hand in this position, like you're holding …a taco. You're American, you should know what a taco is." Lillith held her hand out in a cupped position, just like if you were holding a taco. Then she proceeded to throw her own rifle (Was it a quad?) and catch it underneath her leg. "If I can do that, then you can do a tiny little drop spin."

After about an hour or so, Near could do about three drop spins on right hand, and one on left. As the sun was setting, he and Lillith proceeded to gather up their stuff and leave the park.

"You did a pretty good job for a newbie. I'm impressed." Lillith commented, brushing a strand of her black hair away from her face.

"Thanks." Near said emotionlessly.

"I love Color Guard, I really do. I might actually consider moving to America and help out at a school as a secondary kind of thing, if it weren't for…" Lillith's eyes clouded over and she didn't finish her sentence.

They walked quietly for a little while when Near looked over and noticed Lillith tearing up a little.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Lillith nodded and wiped her eyes. "I'm fine, I'm fine."

"You were crying." Near pointed out bluntly.

"I _said_ I'm fine." Lillith insisted.

"If you say so…"

Near didn't believe her, but said nothing as they continued to the apartment in the steadily dropping temperature, a sure sign that winter wasn't too far off.

END CHAPTER 6

Me: I noticed I'm inconsistent at my FIN message. I need to fix that. Writers have to do check and remember so much! –bangs head in frustration- I actually need to stop doing these beginning and ending commentaries…this will be my last one, I promise! I'll have a bunch of blabbing only at the end, and only when necessary, aka when I have something important to actually say! So anyway, read and review everyone!


	7. Tis the Season

Chapter 7  
_December-6 months to go_  
"Here's your purchase, Merry Christmas." Lillith smiled and handed a woman a plastic shopping bag of books. After the woman thanked her and left, Lillith turned to shelf some books, pausing to glance out the window at the early snowfall. It was a nice occasion to have snow Christmas Eve. As Lillith began sorting out books in the Sci-Fi section, she pondered what Near did for Christmas. Did he do anything? If so was it something American, like decorating a tree, or something different? She would have to ask her roommate so they could celebrate together. It was a nice thought to Lillith, to be able to celebrate the holidays with someone like she did as a kid and a teenager.  
About an hour and a half later, Lillith was closing up shop when Near came along. "Oh hi, Near-kun. Do you need to buy something, or are you just dropping by to see me?" she chuckled. Near twirled his hair and replied "We're almost out of milk, I thought we could go together after you were finished with work."  
"Dang, already?" Lillith sighed. "I thought I bought some recently."  
"It didn't last long; you drink that stuff a lot."  
Lillith shrugged, pulling on a coat and grabbing her things. "Oh well, it's your turn to pay. Let's go." As they headed out, Lillith turned back to Near.  
"Near-kun?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Do you celebrate Christmas the American way or the normal way?"  
"Normal way. Why, do you hang socks up or something like Americans?"  
Lillith laughed. "No, no. It looks like fun for little kids, but we never did that." Lillith did recall how she had bought something for Near and hid it in her room the other day. It had been kind of embarrassing walking into a toy shop to look for something, but it paid off and she found a good gift for Near.

They got to the store, the radio playing cheerful Christmas carols. Lillith rubbed her gloved hands together and against her cheeks, which had gotten red from the cold as they walked to the frozen section.

"So have you ever celebrated Christmas with a girl?" Lillith asked, scanning the aisle and stopping when she found the milk.

"No. Have you ever celebrated one with a boy?" Near curled his hair some, which had become even more white from the snow having fallen on it outside.

"Yeah, a year or two in high school. It wasn't really a big deal." Lillith pulled out a couple of jugs, handing one to Near. "This should last us a while. Anyway, this is my last Christmas, so I want to make it special."

Lillith talked about her limited time left now so often that she treated it very nonchalantly, even though it was obvious how much it upset her. As they paid and left the store, the snow was no longer falling, but it was still on the ground, crunching underneath their feet. As they passed the park a couple of children were giggling and throw snowballs at each other. Lillith gave a short laugh. "I remember me and my siblings having snowball fights." She recalled.

Once they got to the apartment, Lillith glanced at the time on her phone. "I'm tired. I think I'm going to sleep." She lied.

"Me too." Near said, walking off to his room. Once Lillith got to her own room she reached under the bed, pulling out the robot toy. "I hope he doesn't have this one already…" she mumbled, before pulling on her pajamas and jumping into bed to wait for Near to fall asleep.

In about twenty minutes, she could wait no longer. She flung off the covers and taped a small piece of paper on the toy box. It read "Merry Christmas! To Near, from Lillith" She then tiptoed out nearly tripping over a few dice. She nervously turned around, glaring at the white cubes under her feet. Then she walked into the living room. She was about to set the gift down on the couch when she stopped dead. She saw a figure across the room. She panicked for a split second before realizing it was Near, with a tiny box in his hands. The two stared blankly at each other for a few seconds until Near nervously, and uncharacteristically, began laughing. It took a few seconds before Lillith broke into peals of similar laughter. Lillith turned on the light, just barely missing the slight ting of pink on Near's face.

"So my surprise is ruined." Lillith crossed her arms in a disappointed manner, walking over to the gift and sitting down next to it. Near, who had calmed down to his normal state, sat down as well, in his usual fashion. Lillith picked up the box and dropped it in his lap. "There." She said, pouting slightly.

"Thanks. I actually don't have this one." Near said, observing it through the packaging. "Oh. Here." He handed her the small parcel he was holding. It was a small white box, barely bigger than Lillith's palm, with a small gold cord tied around it. "For me?" she asked with surprise. When he nodded, she slowly untied the cord and lifted the lid. Inside was a pretty silver chain with a blue stone attached. It was simple but beautiful. Lillith gasped in joy. "It's beautiful!" she squealed with excitement. "Well I'm glad you like it." Near rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"I'm so glad you got me something! Thank you! I have to hug you!" she embraced him. After she realized she was just adding onto the awkwardness, she let go, set aside her gift gently, and headed to the kitchen. "We're both up, we should have something to eat or drink. How about hot chocolate?" Near nodded, and so Lillith, with some difficulty, managed to make hot chocolate. She poured it into a couple of mugs and handed one to Near. They began sipping on it together and chatting. Lillith started to get cold, so she grabbed a blanket and they shared it. Soon, the hot chocolate mugs were empty and their eyelids were starting to droop. "Merry Christmas…" Lillith said sleepily, dozing off against an already asleep Near's shoulder. _This may be my last Christmas, but it was definitely the best._ Lillith thought vaguely as she began to fall asleep.

END CHAPTER 7

Sorry for the long wait.

And note, I will no longer have captions. A very informational Fanfiction writing guide taught me how stupid they are. Mine weren't funny anyway. If I need to say something, I'll just say it right here at the end of the story like I am now.


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